Big Bad Breakfast: book review and a recipe for Bacon Onion Jam

Breakfast is their favorite meal. Big is their favorite size of food. And if by “bad” you mean pork and fried foods, cat’s head biscuits (“big as a cat’s head!), butter (and plenty of it), well then, hot dog! Which is also bad for you.

And by “bad,” we mean “good.”

But before we get ahead of ourselves, you need to know that in addition to being a book, Big Bad Breakfast is a place – one of several restaurants in Oxford, Mississippi, owned and operated by Currance. And Currance is not just a guy slinging grits in the South, lest you confuse “home-style” with “careless.” He’s a James Beard “Best Chef,” and a Southern Foodways Alliance “Guardian of the Tradition” award winner. His food is the real thing, prepared with skill and imagination and served up hot and hearty on big plate.

So what can you expect in Big Bad Breakfast? Shrimp and Grits? Crawfish Etouffee? Too easy, but they’re in there. How about the Fried Chicken Cathead (no cats were harmed in the preparation of this chicken-and-egg breakfast sandwich), and the Pylon (a chili-dog /waffle extravaganza)? Or Peanut Butter and Banana Pancakes (plus chocolate chips, plus baby marshmallows plus whipping cream)? Sausage Cinnamon Rolls, which are exactly what they claim to be. Or a Falling Down Brown Cow, which if you’re old enough to know what a “Brown Cow” is (a Coca-Cola or root beer float), you’re old enough to enjoy with a shot of bourbon.

If you love breakfast, or you love someone who loves breakfast – even if you hate breakfast – you should buy this book; it’s that much fun.

And just sayin’ – if Santa were to leave this book under the tree, your family would have the best Christmas morning breakfast, ever

In a large skillet cook the bacon over medium heat until soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring until the onions are soft and transparent, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 15 minutes.

Add the vinegar, bourbon, brown sugar, bay leaves, black mustard seeds, red pepper flakes, and thyme, stirring to combine. Turn the heat to low and simmer until almost all of the liquid has evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes. (After 20 minutes, the mixture may still be pretty soupy; crank up the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until most of the liquid is gone. This took me another 15 minutes.)

Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.

Remove the bay leaves and pour the jam into jars and refrigerate for up to 8 weeks.